All posts for the month December, 2014

I ended up getting quite a few video games over the course of 2014. Hey, I like my 3DS! Unfortunately, no Mac games made it onto my list this year, mostly because the only game that appealed to me was Civilization: Beyond Earth, and it’s ridiculously expensive. However, I have four 3DS games that I really enjoyed this year. Games are in order of release date.

1. Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy (February 28)

I talked about this one way back when in this post. Azran Legacy was an excellent finale to the Professor Layton series, and my only regret is that it’s the last game in the series to feature Layton as the protagonist. We’ll miss you, Professor!

I still recommend this game for anyone who enjoys puzzles and mysteries. 9/10, recommended 9 and up.

2. Disney Magical World (April 11)

This is one of those games I picked up on a whim. Magical World is a mostly open-ended, almost sandbox type game that I still have not managed to finish. I say mostly and almost – there’s seasonal content to be had and quests to accomplish, but I see very little to do after you have all the outfits, recipes, furniture, and all 100 stickers. However, it may have replay value, and it can take quite awhile to finish. (Granted, this is coming from someone who takes years to reach max level in any MMO ever made, so…) I’m going to say 7/10, and recommended 6 and up.

3. Tomodachi Life (June 6)

Another game I talked about way back when, this is truly a sandbox game. A cross between Animal Crossing and The Sims, this is a rather cute game for people who like The Sims or Animal Crossing, but want something less realistic than the former and less time-consuming than the latter. Plus, if you have to put it down for several months, no weeding is required. Yay for that! However, this is less like Sims in that Miis have a mind of their own, so no matter how much you may push it, Iron Man may not fall in love with Batgirl. (Yeah, we tried that… I can’t even get Nightwing to be friends with her. On the upside, Joker and Batman seem to have put aside their differences. I saw them playing soccer together. Weird.) 8/10, recommended 7 and up.

4. Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (August 29)

A crossover between the Professor and the Ace Attorney, this quickly became one of my favorite games of all time. With the puzzles of Layton and the court cases of Wright, this game is definitely worth picking up. Plus, as I said when I originally talked about it shortly after its release, everybody likes a good old-fashioned witch trial! 9/10, recommended 12 and up.

There were a few other games/game combos released this year that I have plans to pick up in the next few weeks – Fantasy Life and LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham come to mind. Overall though, I was actually pretty impressed with my few selections from the myriad of released games this year, although none top A Link Between Worlds from last year. What can I say, despite the awesomeness of Batman and Professor Layton, nobody stands up to Link.

There were quite a few films released this year that I ended up really enjoying despite previous worries, such as if the book would allow for a split in the middle (Mockingjay – Part 1), if it would end up destroying a character I had always loved to hate (Maleficent), or simply be a poor sequel to what I considered a fantastic movie and group of characters (Muppets Most Wanted). However, some movies really stood out to me this year. Let’s take a look at them. Movies are in order of release date.

1. The Lego Movie (February 7)

I know it’s gotten some hate, but I really enjoyed The Lego Movie. Is it cheesy? Yes. Does it have a ridiculous amount of cliches? Depends on who you ask. I prefer to call them tropes. But this movie has two things going for it – LEGO Batman, and the LEGO ability to make fun of itself. This makes everything awesome.

Despite the aforementioned possible issues and bonuses, The LEGO Movie hit my top favorites for two reasons: it’s family-friendly (that’s a big deal around here) and it (with an open mind on the viewer’s part) appeals to everyone from children to adults. I even know some teenagers who like it. Overall, I give it a 7/10, the EftM stamp of geek approval, and an appropriate for everyone over 6 (there are some mildly scary parts, but everything being built out of LEGOs, it’s all bloodless and even the scary parts are slightly funny.)

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (April 4)

I enjoyed the original, yes. Could it have been improved? Probably. I thought it was good though, as Captain America is one of my favorite superheroes of all time and Chris Evans plays him well. However, despite some unfortunate spoilers from Marvel on the identity of the Winter Soldier, this movie pushed Captain America to an all-time high in awesomeness. Captain America uses his super-soldier abilities to a higher degree than previously seen in either The First Avenger or The Avengers, and it really is cool. Of course, S.H.I.E.L.D is no more, and I honestly did not see that little plot twist coming. I assume S.H.I.E.L.D will get rebuilt at some point. Maybe in time for the next major movie requiring one or more of the Avengers?

Overall, it’s a Marvel movie. It hit my favorites because a) it’s Captain America and b) it’s an awesome movie. Of course, it has issues, like most movies. There’s profanity and plenty of violence. Despite that, The Winter Soldier is a fun superhero movie that shows the blurry lines between right and wrong. 8/10, appropriate for 13 and up.

3. Guardians of the Galaxy(August 1)

Normally, I’d say it’s a bad sign when Marvel is making movies about groups and heroes that I didn’t know existed (example: Ant-Man… that’ll be interesting), but in this case, it works. I enjoyed Guardians of the Galaxy, despite not even knowing such a group existed in the Marvel universe prior to this film. Sure, it was a bit cheesy, and it had some issues logic and content-wise, but it was still a good movie. Of course, seeing it at 11 at night probably didn’t hurt either. Following a rather mismatched group of mercenaries and assassins who decide to do some good for once, Guardians of the Galaxy introduces us to the Infinity Stones. This is where the logic issues come in. Sometimes, the Infinity Stone in question causes the user to explode. Sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes a group can share the power and live. Sometimes, they explode anyways. It was all very confusing.

As with Captain America, I have to say that it was very Marvel. Lots of explosions, general awesomeness, some profanity, and plenty of violence. It was an enjoyable two hours though. 7/10, recommended 14 and up.

4. Big Hero 6 (November 7)

I’m noticing a lot of Marvel movies on my watch list this year. No, this one isn’t under the Marvel logo, but it is based off a Marvel team of the same name. I was pleasantly surprised by this film. Funny personal story goes with this film too – I was on a Disney cruise (yay!) and went to see this in the Buena Vista Theater onboard. It’s 11 at night, and the grandpa sitting behind my mom and I fell asleep only a few minutes in. This wouldn’t have been funny, except for the fact that he snored very loudly. This made everyone in the theater laugh, and it certainly cheered up the general mood in the theater during the depressing parts.

The audience for this movie in general was much more interactive than a normal movie audience, boosting the movie enjoyment. However, the movie itself was beautifully animated, and the city of San Fransokyo was an amazing mix of San Fransisco and Tokyo. The storyline was also pretty good, and I liked the characters. It also gets bonus points for being family-friendly, and for being less about superheroes and more about family and friends. Plus, Baymax is adorable. I want one. 9/10, recommended 7 and up.

5. Honorable Mention – The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies (December 14)

I put this one on here for one reason – it’s the final chapter in the Hobbit trilogy and the end of the Tolkien motion picture series (until, y’know, someone decides they aren’t good enough and remakes them with an inferior cast in fifteen or twenty years.) I haven’t seen it yet, but a group of my friends went and they said it was amazing. I trust their judgement, but I’ll probably update with a Theater Thursday when I go see this in the next week or two. My guess from other reviews I’ve seen, and what my friends said? I’ll probably love it, give it a 9/10, and say it’s appropriate for 14 and up.

In the end, there were some great films released this year, and some not so great ones, just like every year since the beginning of movies. However, the next two/three years look to be promising (to geeks especially), so here’s to a new year in film!

The Christmas/holiday season is hectic for me, as I’m sure it is for everyone. If I’m not in the Nutcracker, I’m in some sort of Christmas program elsewhere, on vacation, or simply busy shopping, wrapping, and catching slightly-cheesy Christmas movies on ABC Family and Hallmark. Speaking of which, I have a few favorites in the Christmas movie department to share with you all, some of which I just saw in the past couple days and some of which have been favorites for years. A quick note on the ratings – they have almost nothing to do with the movie itself, they are just a rating of how much I enjoyed it.

First up, we have ABC Family’s Snow (2004) and Snow 2 (2008). Starring Tom Cavanagh, Ashley Williams, and Patrick Fabian, the first movie’s plot revolves around a missing reindeer just learning to fly and Nick meeting (and falling in love with) Sandy Brooks (Ashley Williams), a zookeeper. Also in the puzzle is Buck Seger (Patrick Fabian), a big game hunter intent on hunting down the reindeer in question for a trophy and getting Sandy to fall in love with him. The second movie’s plot features an amnesiac Nick after he travels through a mirror and gets hit on the head. (Yes, the mirror traveling is as weird as it sounds. However, it is a plot point in both movies, and despite the weirdness, it’s pretty awesome.) Sandy tracks down Nick in a effort to help him regain his memory, and Buck makes a return, this time intent on removing Nick from the picture and finally winning Sandy.

I have to admit, I mostly watched these out of boredom. The day before Christmas Eve is boring, y’know? However, by a half-hour into the first movie, I was thoroughly enjoying it. It’s nice to see Cavanagh in a less… creepy role. (He currently stars as Dr. Harrison Wells on The Flash.) Nick Snowden’s character is nearly a full opposite of Harrison Wells, and these movies (after seeing The Flash) cemented forever (for me) that Cavanagh is an excellent actor. While the movies themselves are a little cheesy, the acting was wonderful, and these are definitely going on my repeat-watch list. 9/10 for the first movie… 7/10 for the second. (Sequels are never as good as the originals!) Anyone over 10 should enjoy these.

Second, we have another new favorite: ABC Family’s The Mistle-Tones (2012). Starring Tia Mowry, Tori Spelling, Jason Rogel, and Jonathan Patrick Moore, this movie is about a singer named Holly and her mission to either join the Snow Belles, a group started by her mother, or beat them in the auditions for the right to sing at the Christmas Eve performance at the mall.

This was another movie I watched out of boredom. It is a musical, though I would classify is as musical-light, as most of the songs are rearrangements of classic Christmas carols. If you don’t like musicals, you may or may not like this movie. While it wasn’t my favorite movie ever, it did have some pretty epic carol rearrangements. I’d say it’s appropriate for anyone over 12, due to some profanity. I’d rate it 7/10 overall.

Third, a classic movie nearly everyone has seen at some point, It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) is one of my favorite movies of all time. Starring James Stewart, Donna Reed, Henry Travers, and Lionel Barrymore, this is a movie about a man named George Bailey and his realization that a life, even a seemingly unimportant one, influences everyone who comes into contact with it. After all, it really is a wonderful life. Recommended for 8 and up, 10/10.

Fourth, we have another first-time watch, The 12 Dates of Christmas (2011). Another ABC Family movie, this stars Amy Smart and Mark-Paul Gosselaar. This movie follows a Groundhog Day (or as I like to call it, the original movie that spawned a thousand spinoffs) style, with the protagonist stuck in a loop repeating Christmas Eve until she gets everything right. This movie wasn’t great, it wasn’t horrible, and it was actually a cute movie. Plus, it gave a great line to use this Christmas. [In reference to the 12 Days of Christmas song] “I hate that song. It’s like the Christmas version of 100 Bottles of Beer.” That line right there made my day. In the end, with a little bit of profanity, I’d recommend for 12 and up. 7/10.

Finally, we have A Muppet Christmas Carol (1992). This is another movie I watch every year. It’s a musical, following the Muppet style. It follows the original story nearly perfectly, although with more modern songs. All I have to say here is that I love the Muppets. Recommended 8 and up, 9/10.

Of course, I have a bunch of other Christmas favorites. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), Scrooge (1970, also a musical), Home Alone (1990), Miracle on 34th Street (1947, original is the best), The Polar Express (2004, also has the distinction of being my first IMAX movie), and The Santa Clause (1994). All of these are holiday re-watches, and I’m sure there are more I’m not thinking of. This is one of two times you will catch me watching movies with a definite romantic subplot. The other time is Valentine’s Day. However, we’ll get into that in a couple months. 😉 Also, if WordPress behaves (it hasn’t been nice to me lately), I should have Best of 2014 lists going up over the next week. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have Christmas lunch/dinner to attend and a stocking full of presents to open.

Theater Thursdays are all about the movies. Out of theaters or in, it’s here.

Welcome to the first Theater Thursday! Today, we’re talking about Mockingjay Part 1. I went to see this yesterday, and the theater was almost empty. I only counted nine people other than me. However, there were still ten showings. Hey, I can live with that. Mostly empty room, lots of showings. I like it.

(Full synopsis and spoilers ahead.)

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The movie starts out with a really weird intro. We see Katniss hiding in a vent in District 13, where she’s quickly found, sedated, and then wakes up in the hospital. The first few minutes felt very much like a TV show, where you have a two to three minute opening scene, and then the title credits roll. (Which they did, just without the credits. The title of the movie came up, however.)

Katniss is called to see President Coin and Plutarch Heavensbee, who explain what happened in the arena and want Katniss to become the face of the rebellion. After Katniss yells a bit about them leaving Peeta behind, Coin begins to have second thoughts about having Katniss be the Mockingjay. Plutarch essentially tells her that Katniss will come around eventually, once she redirects her anger towards the Capitol. On a side note, I have to admit I liked Julianne Moore’s portrayal of Coin in this movie – we’ll see if it continues into part 2.

President Snow then addresses the nation and executes a bunch of people simultaneously across the districts. Bad day to be in the rebellion.

Katniss demands to be taken to District 12, which Coin is iffy on and Plutarch fully supports. While she’s there, she gets her sister’s cat and some personal belongings. She also breaks down after stepping on a skull and seeing a bunch of skeletons. While we’re talking about this, I did not like Katniss nearly as much in this movie. She had a few good moments, but she ended up in tears a lot. I know she’s had a bad two years of it, with the Games and all, but I still feel like she should have picked up some resilience along the way, even fake resilience in the form of shutting off her emotions a bit. I don’t remember her breaking down this much in the books. However, I can’t fault Jennifer Lawrence’s performance – she’s fallen into the role quite well, and her performance seems less forced than in the first movie. That’s just my opinion, however.

Back in 13, the Capitol is broadcasting a interview between Peeta and Caesar Flickerman. Peeta, looking a bit haggard, but still fairly okay, calls for a cease-fire, resulting in District 13 hating him… a lot. Almost immediately, Katniss goes to Coin, agreeing to be the Mockingjay, assuming they fulfill some conditions. Namely, that Peeta and the other victors will be rescued from the Capitol and given full pardons at the first possible opportunity. Coin isn’t thrilled with that, insisting that Peeta stand trial for his betrayal, but eventually agrees on the condition that Katniss provides results. Oh, and the cat stays. “I’ll be the Mockingjay, the public face of your rebellion. But Prim keeps her cat.”

Katniss begins filming propaganda for the rebellion, but Katniss can’t act convincingly. We get several really bad line deliverances, at which point Haymitch intervenes in his first appearance in this movie. I was starting to wonder if he was going to show up. I like Haymitch.

Haymitch points out that Katniss works best in unplanned, real-life scenarios, so, after a Mockingjay outfit and bow upgrade, Katniss and her new film crew head to District 8 to visit a hospital of wounded civilians. Snow then orders the hospital bombed, simply because Katniss showed up. I know we’re not supposed to like the guy, but that’s just cruel.

Katniss delivers a fairly epic speech (though not as epic as Aragorn in Return of the King) upon seeing the wreckage of the hospital, which is then turned into a fairly awesome propaganda video. A short while later, Katniss returns to District 12 with Gale and the film crew, where Gale tells the story of the bombing of District 12. They eventually end up by a lake, where a flock of mockingjays reside. After being prompted to sing, Katniss is filmed while singing “The Hanging Tree,” which is a really depressing but awesome song. It’s broadcast across the nation, and it becomes the official protest song of the rebellion.

An entire squadron of Peacekeepers is wiped out by rebels in District 7 (those Peacekeepers never had a chance), and another group takes out a dam providing power to the Capitol. Go rebels!

Peeta comes back on air with another interview, looking absolutely terrible. Those of us who have read the books know he’s being tortured and brainwashed, which is also revealed at the end of the movie. He sees the footage of Katniss that District 13 is interrupting the broadcast with, and warns the District that planes are flying their way. Coin calls for a evacuation, in which everyone survives, even though Prim went back for her cat and Gale barely made it inside. This was a moment of fake tension, as book fans know they do not die at this time. Coin is also thankful for Peeta’s warning, as it gave them an extra eight minutes to get everyone out.

Katniss breaks down yet again upon seeing the white roses dropped after the bombing, and refuses to film anymore, afraid that Snow is going to kill Peeta. Finnick takes her place, talking about his life after the Games in which he learned many secrets. Most interesting at this time is that Snow came to power through systematic poisoning of any threats to his rule. During this broadcast, a group of six volunteers, including Gale and Boggs, the general of District 13, initiate a rescue mission to get Peeta, Annie (Finnick’s girlfriend) and Johanna Mason out of the Capitol. However, President Snow knew they were there, and lets them leave, which seems odd until you realize he’s had Peeta brainwashed into wanting to kill Katniss. Peeta proceeds to attempt just that, badly injuring Katniss before Boggs knocks him out.

When Katniss wakes up, Peeta’s brainwashing is explained to her and us, the audience. In the last few moments of the movie, Coin addresses District 13, rallying them for war, and Katniss sneaks into the facility where Peeta is being kept, only to see him in solitary confinement, screaming and going completely crazy.

The movie then ends, leaving us with a fairly terrible ending.

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Really, the movie should have been condensed into just one part, not two. Take the extra 45 minutes/hour and make it one part. I’ll sit through it. However, splitting the last book of a series into two parts is apparently a thing these days, so…

In terms of quality and storytelling, the movie stays fairly fast-paced throughout. I didn’t feel like it dragged along, unlike the second movie. I also noticed far less shaky camera movement, also unlike the first movie. However, this was most definitely a filler movie.

In terms of content, this was actually a bit less gory than the previous films. It had some intense moments, and lots of violence, but it was less graphic. I don’t recall any profanity either. I’d still recommend it for 13 and up, as you’re going to have to watch the first two movies first.

In terms of the characters/acting, I think the acting was far better than in the previous films. I think the shining star of this film was Julianne Moore. I still hold reservations about Katniss breaking down so much.

Overall, I’d give this movie a 8.5/10. It was a filler movie, but I still enjoyed the story, and the cinematography felt better than previous films. I’m definitely looking forward to Part 2.